Sports

Raiders Relying On Healthy Watson To Solidify Line

Tackle Menelik Watson of the Oakland Raiders pass blocks against defensive end Benson Mayowa #95 of the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on August 29, 2013 in Seattle, Washington. (credit: Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Watson arrived at his first training camp with the Oakland Raiders with an injured calf that forced him to miss much of the preseason. A knee injury just before the beginning of the regular season cost Watson a shot at a starting job.

By the time Watson was finally healthy, he got only limited playing time, mostly as a sixth offensive lineman, as he couldn’t overcome all the missed time.

Watson ended up playing in a total of five games for Oakland in 2013, starting just three of them, at right tackle.

That wasn’t exactly what the Raiders were counting on from a second-round pick, and it certainly wasn’t what the raw Watson needed since he only played two seasons of football before entering the NFL.